Ever since he made it to the league, Ben Simmons has been one of the most polarizing players around theNBA. His defensive and playmaking skills are remarkable and undeniable but he’s cost the Philadelphia 76ers some games due to his lack of scoring.
Some people even questioned whether he was a good fit next to Joel Embiid because he doesn’t provide much spacing. He defers shots from mid and long-range and doesn’t even look at the rim unless he’s driving.
That’s why some analysts, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, believe that the Sixers will never win an NBA Championship with him running the point unless he develops a somewhat consistent jump shot.
Stephen A. Smith Says Ben Simmons Will Cost The Sixers A Title
“I believe that Ben Simmons is a jump shot away from being LeBron James,” started Smith. “That’s how great I think Ben Simmons can be. His only impediment is his inability to shoot the basketball.”
“As I told Doc Rivers to his face (…)Ben Simmons, to me, is going to cost the Philadelphia 76ers a title all because he has no shooting ability (…) When you run the offense, when you’re the point guard and you are no threat from the perimeter – at all – to the point where you don’t even attempt shots from the perimeter, that’s a problem,” Smith added.
Truth be told, Simmons is far from being a scoring threat. He’s a dominant finisher below the rim – although he seems to shoot with the wrong hand – and is one of the most versatile and better defenders around the league.
Simmons is just a jump shot away from going from a great player to a superstar. That’s not a secret, and opposing defenses tend to expose him come playoff time. Hopefully, he’ll get there and take his game to a whole new level, as he’s got the potential to become a legend in this league.
